Ardnamurchan AD/10.21:06

The Maker

If you’re the kind of whisky drinker who follows what’s going on in the industry then you’re likely already well aware of Ardnamurchan. Alongside distilleries like GlenAllachie; Kilchoman; and Edradour, Ardnamurchan has quickly become one of the most talked about and respected distilleries operating today due to their releasing of whiskies that are affordable to the average drinker, and whiskies that you can actually get a hold of if you want a bottle (at least in the UK).

Sadly, the popularity of whisky right now means that such a description is almost as much of a curse for drinkers as it's a blessing for the distillery in question. Yes it’s great for us that high quality, obtainable whiskies are out there. But at the same time, if we know about them, then those interested in making ‘investment purchases’ won’t be far behind us. All of which means that before you know it Ardnamurchan could be on its way to becoming the next unobtainable Daftmill or so often overhyped Springbank. Yet despite this, it’s still important that we celebrate good things when we find them. It just might be best for us to not shout too loudly beyond the odd internet blog/review that hardly anyone will read anyway. So here we are!

Such points aside the Ardnamurchan distillery can be found on the remote peninsular of the same name in the western Highlands. So far west in fact, the distillery is just a few miles north of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, making Ardnamurchan the most westerly of all Highland distilleries. As well as its remoteness it’s also very new - having only opened in 2014.

In describing what this distillery is all about my hypothesis is that Ardnamurchan is the archetypal modern distillery. By this I mean that its operating model is founded on all the best modern trends in whisky production today. In other words, if you had to describe what the best-case state of modern Scotch was in a single distillery, Ardnamurchan would be that distillery. But what’s my justification for this?

First, it’s owned and operated by highly respected independent bottler Adelphi. Adelphi are one of the most sort after indi-bottlers on the market today due to the consistent high quality of their releases that are based on decades of expertise and cask sourcing relationships. But on top of this, indi-bottlers going into the distillery business is a growing trend. As discussed in a previous review, Gordon & MacPhail set the path with the success of Benromach and are in the process of building a second called The Cairn. Hunter Laing & Co have Ardnahoe on Islay which is on the verge of its first release, and even relative minnow North Star Spirits have recently announced plans to bring Dal Riata to life down in Campbeltown.

This is naturally all very exciting given the way in which some big brands have been sanitising their releases in recent years, meaning that such indi-bottlers have been offering better representations of some distilleries than the distilleries themselves - Auchentoshan and Laphroaig jump to mind here. As far as i'm concerned the idea that such expertise is going to be used for the entire process can only be a good thing.

Second, Ardnamurchan is placing additional emphasis upon its transparency, along with its environmental & cultural sustainability. Transparency has been a growing issues in the industry for many years now with the more discerning drinker no longer happy with the blank descriptions of bottle contents on traditional blends and mass market releases. Instead people want to know as much as possible about what's going into their bottles. Not only do they now obsess about filtration methods, but some have even gone as far as to worry about which way up the barrels are stored – and with good reason! Ardnamurchan takes transparency to a new level with each bottle containing a unique QR code which, as you can see in the Expression section below, gives you every last detail of what when into you bottle.

Environmental & Cultural sustainability is yet another positive trend in the industry that Ardnamurchan is embracing from the ground up. We might not like to think about it, but whisky production does use a lot of natural resources from the grain itself - which could be going to human consumption but is instead used for whisky then recycled into animal feed (which is a whole issue in of itself as a really inefficient way of getting protein into our diets compared to direct consumption) - through to the extraction of peat to malt many of the sector’s most popular products.

Now this doesn’t make the sector fundamentally bad for the environment, it’s just that the whisky boom is stretching what can be grown/extracted sustainably, and producers need to be conscious about what their true impact is and how to avoid, minimise, and mitigate where possible. Ardnamurchan’s approach to this has been to go fully renewable (albeit partly via biomass which can be questionable if not done carefully). It’s also focusing on supporting local farming for its barley, minimising the distilleries footprint on the landscape and ensuring that its waste is recycled where possible. It has also well recognised the cultural element to sustainability by integrating itself into the local community by setting up an Ardnamurchan Trust for local children to directly profit from future sales.

The Expression

As noted above Ardnamurchan is embracing transparency to a degree not before seen in the whisky industry. Due to this I can tell you that this bottle of AD/10.21:06 is bottle 567 out of a run of 21,000, and that it was bottled by Jess Hamilton on the 28th October 2021.

But it goes much further. From the QR code information provided I also know that the barley used is Concerto, and not just that it was produced on Broomhall farm, but also that it’s from Brucefield on that farm.

Going deeper the Mash was operated by Mark Giesler. The 1st water temp was 64.5 degrees. The 2nd water temp was 82 degrees and the 3rd water temp was 90.5 degrees. The fermentation time was 76 hours and when Nicky Docherty operated the still the hydrometer read between 69.5% ABV through to 74% ABV.

But the system is imperfect. For example on my QR code the maturation data was initially broken and cannot be read on iPhone without specific apps (something which isn’t that great when you consider that’s how most people use QR codes). Nonetheless, switching to a laptop I was able to uncover the complex blend of casks which went into this particular batch.

This is the bit of single malt production which has always fascinated me because every single malt that isn't single cask is a blend, it’s just that we never normally get to see what that looks like at a batch level. Here we finally can. So beyond the headline figures that this batch is made of a 50:50 mix of peated and unpeated malt, matured in 65% Bourbon and 35% Sherry, I can also tell you that the batch used 18 peated barrels distilled in 2015. 8 peated Spanish Oloroso Hogsheads from 2015 and 2016, and 3 peated American Oak Oloroso Hogsheads from 2016. On the unpeated side it used 25 barrels from 2014, 2015 and 2016. 5 Spanish Oloroso Hogsheads from 2014 and 2015, and one Spanish Oloroso Butt from 2016. Numbers for each cask are also provided.

So from that we also know that while this is officially a non-aged statement release it would qualify as a five year old with the oldest whisky being just seven years old. I can also tell you that like all Ardnamurchan releases it's natural colour and non-chill filtered, and that it's bottled at 46.8% ABV.

The Neck Pour

There’s a very soft and floral note on the nose at first which hints towards a very light and easy drinking whisky. Then the citrus builds alongside the smallest hint of chamomile tea and honey.

Upon tasting it there’s a very obvious mix of peated and unpeated malt. But they work together very harmoniously in a way I think most will find very accessible. The spirit maintains the softness of the nose, indeed it's surprisingly soft for its strength.

The finish is a little short at this point, but there’s also a very interesting red berry, or possibly blackcurrant note right at the end for some added surprise. All very enjoyable and drinkable at this point, but I suspect this bottle at a lot more to give.

It's also proving very popular. I took the bottle around to a friend's to open and before we knew it a third of it was gone between four of us.

The Body

Around about the halfway mark and there’s an awful lot more coming out now. Lots of straw and a rich honeyed layer that has overcome those citrus notes I picked up earlier. There’s also a very pleasant oiliness which has been slowly building as I’ve become more accustomed to it. Beyond that there are nudges of apricot, soap, clove, coffee beans, molasses and even a rum-like hint at the end. The peat smoke is also there, but subtle. More of a compliment than anything which gets in the way of the rest of the flavours.

I think if I had to sum up this bottle in an ‘elevator pitch’ it would be Glencadam 10 meets Talisker 10. Whether that appeals to you will be a matter of personal taste of course, but from my perspective that’s a very positive endorsement as I love both of those whiskies a great deal. It’s that freshness and accessibility of the Glencadam mixed with the subtle smokiness of the Talisker. It also speaks to the quality of the spirit as this Ardnamurchan is just half the age of those ten year olds but is managing to keep up with and (for some) even exceed them in terms of taste.

Final Thoughts

This is a very fine bottle of whisky at any price but for something under £50 you really can’t go wrong. As the bottle comes to an end I’ve found it to be increasingly nutty (walnut if I was forced to pick) alongside those oils. Beyond that everything above still stands.

It’s always very pleasant when a new distillery not only meets your expectations but at times exceeds them. I’ve already got the new Cask Strength release to try alongside this, so I suspect this will be the first of many Ardnamurchans that pass my shelf. If you can get it in your part of the world you shouldn’t miss the opportunity!